Trinidad (Spanish: "Trinity") is the largest and most populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just 11 km (6.8 mi) off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of 4,768 km2 (1,841 sq mi) it is also the fifth largest in the West Indies.
The world's largest natural deposit of asphalt, known as Pitch Lake, is located on the island's southwestern peninsula.
Trinidad in 1632[]
When Grantville arrived in 1631, Trinidad was a Spanish possession. However, the Spanish were largely indifferent to it, though there was a small settlement. Pitch Lake was known (it had been discovered by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1595), but was not considered significant.
This began to change in the spring of 1634, when an expedition led by David Pieterszoon de Vries visited Pitch Lake to gather asphalt for shipment to the United States of Europe. Also, information in Grantville's libraries showed that Trinidad was a source of easily accessible petroleum.